Love at Second Life
by PureRoyalNative
Summary: Nora and Danse have both had their worlds crumble at their feet but maybe together they can find a way to stay strong in a world that is so bleak. How far will each of them go to prove their loyalty to one another? Never did either of them think that love would arise from the ashes when the fire has yet to die out. Fallout 4, Rated M for Sexual Content.
1. Chapter 1: The Destress Signal

Writer's Note: I really enjoyed writing this fanfiction. It is one of my favorites ever which is why I chose it to be my first posted. It took me a lot of reading up on character profiles and in game dialog for me to try to make the characters seem as true to themselves as I could. I would like to keep working on this to make it even better but my writing skills can only go so far. Reviews and Feedback welcome. I hope you enjoy!

The Distress Signal

While heading towards Diamond City, Nora got a distress signal on her Pip-boy coming from Military Frequency AF95. She could hear a female's voice coming through, "This is Scribe Haylen of Reconnaissance Squad Gladius to any unit in transmission range. Authorization Arx. Ferrum. Nine. Five. Our unit has sustained casualties and we're running low on supplies. We're requesting support or evac from our position at Cambridge Police Station." The female voice then cut out and a robotic tone stated "Automated message repeating..."

Nora followed the signal, unsure if anyone would still be alive, but as she approached the police station she could hear gun fire and the howls of ghouls. She readied her pistol and turned the corner of the road to find a man in a suit of power armor just like the ones she had seen on military posters back before the war. He was behind a makeshift barricade and was firing a laser rifle to fend off the ghouls while another man lay wounded on the steps behind him. A young woman was tending to the man's wounds and could not move him. Wasting no time Nora fired her pistol at the ghouls and took them out one by one.

Danse was amazed at the skill he saw before him. This stranger from The Commonwealth stormed in without fear and with pinpoint accuracy popped the heads off her foes with a shining smile spread across her face. He had never seen a woman more beautiful. Her skin was pink and scar-less. Her body posture was strong and tall. Her long dark hair flowed and shined on her shoulders looking as if not a single clump of dirt had ever touched it. It was like she was from another world.

As the last ghoul fell to the ground, they both struggled to catch their breath. Still smiling widely, Nora approached the man in armor with confidence. Even through the armor she could see he was tall, strong, and extremely handsome. He had a scar on his brow just above his fierce brown eyes. She liked how it gave character to his chiseled face.

"We appreciate the assistance civilian, but what are you doing here?" Danse found it hard to keep his composure with such a beautiful woman focusing on him. He followed her bright green eyes as they studied him.

"I heard about your need of assistance on my Pip-boy and I figured I would lend a hand."

"Pip-boy? Are you from a local settlement?"

"Sort of, I use to live in Sanctuary, then I was frozen inside Vault 111."

"A vault dweller huh? Well if you would like to help out head inside. I'll debrief you on the details of our mission. We could always use another set of guns. We have been under attack ever since we entered the area."

"Sure thing."

Nora followed as Danse picked up his wounded partner and headed inside.

(Later)

Danse had sent Nora out on a mission. She would have to prove her loyalty to The Brotherhood before she could be trusted. That night he couldn't find a way to fall asleep. He had so many questions for this mysterious woman who just walked into his life from the ruins. He felt as if he had imagined their whole meeting. She just seemed too pure to be a civilian. In that moment he began to consider the possibility of her being a synth. He prayed for it not to be true but she just seemed too perfect for any other logic to make sense to him. Her beauty and the way she handled her weapon, it almost gave off the impression that she was designed, programmed to be that way. But she had the suit and the Pip-boy; those were only given to people inside Vault-Tec, and that was way before synths were even heard of. On the other hand, she could have stolen it, or worse killed for it.

Danse shook the thoughts from his head, "No, I can't think that way about my fellow man. If I start doing that I'll never know who to trust."

He began to think of all the men she must have swooning over her. 'Surely if she was truly human, then that would mean she must have known many men throughout her entire life. If she didn't have someone in her life already, surly there was someone who was close to her. And besides,' he lamented, 'what chance would a military man like me have? I don't know anything about women. I've hardly ever sat down to talk to anyone let alone start a relationship.'

At that moment he felt an aching in his crotch. He hadn't noticed that thinking about her had slowly made him harder and harder and now his organ was being constricted by his tight BOS suit. He tossed and turned in his bed trying to get her face out of his head. Eventually giving up he decided he was better off spending his time on work. He got up and headed to the lobby for a smoke and to make himself some tea: anything to get his mind back on the mission.


	2. Chapter 2: A New Friendship

The Start of a New Friendship

After Nora returned to the police station from her third reconnaissance mission, Danse could tell how determined she was to help the team. He felt guilty for ever doubting her and wanted to make it up to her.

As he stood in the center of the police station he called her over to him. His face became solemn and she could tell he had something important to say.

"Nora, I would like to speak to you about something if you have a moment."

"Of course. What's on your mind?"

"This isn't a formal meeting. I... simply want to clear the air. I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot when we first met and I feel like I owe you an apology. Expecting you to embrace the standards of The Brotherhood without having a history with us was unfair. And given that you've adjusted so well to our beliefs, I don't think I needed to push so hard."

"That's very kind. Thank you," Nora smiled.

"Well, you deserve it. When I was an Initiate, my sponsor was Paladin Krieg. Toughest squad leader I ever served with. He was a model soldier, embodying the values every trainee was striving to achieve. Fiercely loyal, secure in his beliefs and brave to a fault. From the moment I was assigned to his squad I was singled out... it felt like he was pushing me harder than the rest of the team. I fought by his side for years and we had some seriously close calls, but he never explained to me why I was treated that way."

"Did you ever ask him?"

"I'd considered it, but unfortunately, I never had the chance. After I was promoted to Paladin and I had moved on to my own squad, I received word that Krieg was killed at Adams Air Force Base. The news was like being kicked in the stomach. I mean, I'd lost some of my brothers and sisters before, but his death... well, it really got to me. It's taken me a long time to realize it, but the reason Krieg was so tough on me is the same reason I'm so tough on you. It's because I believe in you and I don't want to see any of your potential go to waste."

"I'm flattered that you have so much faith in me."

"You've earned that faith by your own hand. Well, I've said what I had to say and I hope that it meant something to you. I... trust you'll keep this in confidence of course. Some of that information was of a personal nature, and well, I'd like to keep it that way."

"Of course Danse, you can trust me. Thank you for being so open with me."

Nora placed her hand on his shoulder and gave it a little pat. They stood in silence looking at one another for the longest moment. Danse cleared his throat and turned away from her to get his focus back on work. He lit up a smoke and began sifting though some paperwork. Nora headed toward the coffee maker to pour herself a cup of hot tea. She needed anything to help relax her muscles from battle.

The Next Step

After many days and nights of Danse and Nora wondering The Commonwealth alone together, Danse began to admire Nora's dedication more and more. She was always quick to do as he commanded and always did it with a smile across her face. He had so many questions for her. The biggest one being how she was able to keep such a pleasant demeanor. Surely she had some sad secret. Everyone in The Commonwealth did. If you were to ask anyone about how their life was going their answer would be, 'As well as it can be in this world.' He also wanted to ask her about her life from before the war. Having lived more than 200 years ago, she must have seen and known so many things. But now was not the time for questions. There were more pressing matters at hand.

It was time for Nora to meet the rest of members of The Brotherhood. Leaving the police station he lead her all the way to the Prydwen were she meet the commanding officer, Elder Maxson. Another young man Nora found to be handsome, and with a powerful stance. On the outside he remained stoic, but inside no one could see that he had the same first impression Danse had towards her. She's so beautiful, so mysterious. He needed to know more about her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Elder. You have an amazing team of people working for you," Nora greeted.

"Thank you. I like to think we work more as a family then just a team. Speaking of, there are a few others I would like for you to meet before we give you the full orientation."

"Alright."

(Later)

After meeting the rest of The Brothers and Sisters, they welcomed Nora into their ranks. Danse then showed her to the living quarters and assigned her a room. Once the two of them were alone, He felt as if he could talk with her freely once again.

"Would it be possible to speak... off the record for a moment?" Asked Danse as he exited his power suit.

"Off the record? That's not like you, Danse," Nora was surprised and just a bit worried.

He approached her slowly. His gaze shifted from side to side to ensure that there was no one within ear length to listen in on their conversation.

"Which is why this is going to be difficult to say, so I'd appreciate it if you bear with me." He ran the fingers of his left hand through his hair. Nora could see he was shaking. "When you were first placed under my sponsorship, I had some serious reservations about it. Despite all that, this has turned out to be a rewarding experience... for both of us. At this point, honestly, I don't feel like there's anything else I could teach you about being a Brotherhood soldier that you don't already know. It's apparent from your attitude and your actions that you intend to keep those ideals close to your heart." He held up a closed fist to his chest to better express his words. Nora could see that he was pinching his lips as if keeping himself from letting anything slip.

"I'm flattered to hear this, but I feel like there's more you want to say."

"There is. I'm just not very good at these sort of things." He let out a hard sigh. "Let me start at the beginning. I grew up alone in the Capital Wasteland. Spent most of my childhood picking through the ruins and selling scrap. When I was a bit older, and had a few caps to my name, I moved into Rivet City and opened a junk stand. While I was there, I met a guy named Cutler. We got along pretty well, watched each other's backs and kept each other out of trouble. When The Brotherhood came through on a recruiting run, we felt like it was the best way out of our nowhere lives, so we joined up."

"I'm glad you had greater ambitions than just selling junk."

"Once I saw what The Brotherhood had to offer, there was no comparison. Anyway, about a year after we were posted to the Prydwen, Cutler vanished on a scouting op. It took some convincing, but I was able to persuade my CO to let me assemble a squad and search for him. It took almost three weeks, but we tracked his team down to a Super Mutant hive." Danse's voice became deep with anger, "Those wretched abominations had slaughtered everyone but Cutler. He should have been so lucky. The mutant bastards used their FEV to change him into one of their own kind. He wasn't Cutler anymore. I had to... it was my duty to... put him down."

He lowered his gaze and pinched his eyes closed expressing so many built up emotions that he has not allowed himself to express. Nora wasn't sure how she felt about his confession.

"Are you sure there wasn't anything you could do to change him back?"

"The FEV effect is irreversible. There was nothing anyone could do."

Not sure what else to say Nora responded, "I guess... you did what The Brotherhood taught you."

A smile spread over his face. "Then you understand why it had to be done. Ever since Cutler died, I've seen other soldiers come and go. Some were brave, some were honest... hell, some were even downright heroic. But I'd never consider any of them to be a good friend, a friend like Cutler was... until now." He looked directly at her with his brow raised high. She gave him a smile. Feeling relieved that his instincts were not wrong about their connection, he smiled back. "It's a good feeling, but it frightens me all the same. Having a bond with someone, then losing them... it changes you. I don't want to go through that again," Danse lowered his eyes to the floor.

"It would never be that way with me..." Nora took him by the chin to have him look at her. "I care about you too much to let that happen." She slips her fingers into his palms and gives them a squeeze.

Danse was shocked to hear those words, "I... I didn't know you felt that strongly about our... well, about us. I'm sorry if I seem... confused. You've certainly given me something to think about. I just thought you deserved to know how I felt. If you feel that I've overstepped my bounds, I completely understand. Whatever the case may be, I appreciate the fact that you took the time to listen."

"Any time, Danse."

(Much Later)

Nora had walked The Freedom Trail and met the members of The Railroad. They discussed with her their disappointment in hearing that this new loan traveler of The Commonwealth had decided to join up with The Brotherhood of Steel. They found them to be nothing more than murderers who just wanted to take over the world. Nora explained her reasons behind joining them. Her son, as well as Danse, and they became more accepting of her at least. They also ran some tests on her to find out if she might be a synth.

"I thought there was no way to tell?" Asked Nora.

"Most people in The Commonwealth don't know things like we do. Such as the fact that synths are unable to reproduce," answered Doctor Carrington. "So all we need to do is check your reproductive system and if you have one that looks like an actual humans we will know for sure."

"But I thought the Gen 3s were suppose to be a perfect human replica with no way to tell?"

"While that is true for most of the body there are still many details that The Institute have not been able to perfect. Now let's get you prepped and then both you and us will know for sure."

After Doctor Carrington finished his tests and assured everyone that she was in fact human, Desdemona had a special request for Nora. She asked if she would help in the escort of H2-22 from the church to Ticonderoga. Nora accepted and headed out towards the church.

(Later)

Nora waited till dark to meet up with H2-22 and Old Man Stockton. She listened for any signs of movement or sudden changes in the environment. There was only silence. For what seemed like hours she continued to wait. Just sitting in the chapel with nothing but the sound of crickets and toads outside the broken windows. Suddenly she heard the rustle of dirt. Footsteps. She stood up from her set and crouched down behind it with her pistol drawn. Her eyes focused hard and her fingers moved over the trigger, as she saw the two men quickly enter the church. They halted at her presence.

"Woo woo, it's okay it's clear," says Stockton.

"Were you followed?" Nora asks while lowering her gun.

"No, I have been keeping an eye out. No one saw us come in."

"Well alright then. I'll handle it from here."

"You take good care of him now. He is a little shy, but he's a good boy with a good head on his shoulders." Stockton headed toward the door. "See you around H2. I just hope not too soon." He disappeared into the night.

Nora turned to H2, "Hey there. My name is Nora. It's nice to meet you." She was immediately taken by him. He looked like a lost little puppy with big eyes, matted hair, and grim smeared from head to toe.

"Mr. Stockton said I... I shouldn't say anything," H2 stuttered.

"It's okay. We don't have to talk right now. Let's focus on getting you somewhere safe."

Nora escorted him to the drop off location. They fight off the raiders in their path and made it to the elevator which locked them safe inside Ticonderoga. Nora was amazed at how many synths were hiding away inside. They all praised her for her help. Nora and H2 sat themselves down in the lounge to talk.

"How are you feeling H2. Are you okay?" Nora asked.

He looked at her exhilarated. "More people actually happy to talk to me? This'll take some getting use to. I'm glad to be off the streets. Is this the sort of place people live? Sorry, I'm really not used to small talk." H2 said nervously.

"Don't worry about it. You're doing great."

"So what do we do?"

"I think the first thing we need to do is address you by a proper name. Do you have any name other than H2?"

"The Institute doesn't bother to name their property. Synths are just numbers and letters to them. The only time I spoke to anyone was to acknowledge scientists' orders and very rarely to other synths. I've talked more in the past few days than I have my entire life."

"I'm sorry. That must have been hard for you."

"It was all I knew. So I guess I just thought it was normal. That is until I met all of you."

"Did you ever have any desires to be on the surface world? Anything you wanted to experience for yourself?"

"I have always been fascinated by the ocean. Living underground I would hear whispers of stories about bodies of water that would stretch on forever. I have dreamed about sailing far off on a boat. Just going as far as I could." H2 smiled.

"I think I have the perfect name for you. Eärendil, lover of the sea."

"Eärendil." He thought to himself for a moment. "I like it. How did you come up with it?"

"I read it in a book. A long time ago. Maybe I can read it to you some time."

"I would like that." He smiled.

"Have you ever heard of a place called Bar Harbor?"

"No, where is that?"

"It's just north of here. We could take a boat and go visit it together some time. Deal?" Nora held out her hand to him.

Eärendil wasn't sure what to do. Nora took him by the right arm and placed his hand into hers then shook it with a tough grip.

"Deal?" He replied unsure if he was returning the gesture properly.

"Okay then." She pushed herself against the back of the couch. "Now I hate to do this, but I need to ask you some questions about The Institute."

"I'm sorry, I don't know much about the Institute. I worked the maintenance tunnels. Every day for as long as I can remember."

"But you know where it is right?"

"I'm sorry. I am sure I do but I am programmed never to tell anyone anything about The Institute."

"Can you tell me about something else than? Any little detail could make a big difference. Please, I need you to try."

"In The Institute synths are expected to behave... like machines. You await instructions. You execute instructions. You perform basic self maintenance. That's all I ever did."

"Shit. Then I'm back to square one."

"Why do you want to find them so bad? Don't most people want to stay away?"

"They stole my baby. I plan to get him back."

"Oh... oh dear. I think I heard something about that. Sorry, I don't have any details other than a child was brought to The Institute some years back. With so many days being like all the others, I am not even sure how long ago that was."

"It's okay. I'll just have to find another way." Nora stood up from the couch. "Okay then Eärendi, I need to get going. I hope you can find your happiness up here."

"Thank you. You have no idea how nice it is to talk to someone."

"We'll do it again soon. I promise."

Nora gave him a hug and said goodbye and good luck to the others then headed out back down the elevator.

(Later)

Nora received an urgent call from Desdemona. She snuck her way to The Old Church as quickly as she could, making sure no one from The Brotherhood was following her. She made her way down the the basement and hurried to gather the news.

"Desdemona, what is it? What's the problem?"

"It's your new friend Eärendil. The time has come for him to leave The Commonwealth. We have a boat waiting for him down by the bayou. I figured you would want to say goodbye."

"Thank you. I would like that very much."

"Well you better hurry. His escort will be there soon to take him. We can't risk waiting any longer."

"Thank you."

Nora headed for the bayou quickly. She saw Eärendil standing on the pier looking out at the water. He had a euphoric look about him.

"Hey you," she called out.

Eärendil turned to her unsure at first to who he was greeting then recognized her right away. "Oh.. hello. I wasn't sure if you would make it."

"Of course. I had to come see you off. So what do you think of the ocean? Big isn't it?"

"Yeah, they weren't kidding about the size. It's a little scary actually."

"I bet you will do wonders out there. Just don't fall off the boat. You'll need to learn to swim first."

"Learn to swim. Right." He had no idea what she was talking about.

Nora looked around for the escort but saw and heard nothing. "Huh... I wonder what is taking your captain so long."

"Oh Nora, before I forget. I made this holotape for you." He reached into his pocket then placed it in her hand. "It just says all the things I knew I wouldn't be able to tell you in person. Due to time and well, I just get so nervous talking to people face to face."

"Awe... you didn't need to do that. We will have plenty of time to tell each other everything once your safe outside The Commonwealth."

Eärendil didn't know what else to say. He just gave her a smile.

Suddenly they heard the stomping of metallic footsteps crunching the pavement as three members of The Brotherhood charged towards them from down the road all of them wearing power armor. Danse was one of them. Nora wasn't sure whither to be happy or worried to see him. They approached and stopped just short of their personal bubble. Eärendil shoved his face into Nora's shoulder frightened. Nora gave him a pat on the back to calm him.

"It's alright. Everything his going to be okay," she whispered to him. "Brothers, what are you doing here?" She asked nervously.

"You know exactly why we are here! You're harboring a synth and behind The Brotherhood's back no less," said the Knight to her right angrily.

Nora looked to them with pleading eyes. "Please, he's my friend. Just let him go. He's not going to harm anyone."

"We're sorry Nora, but this comes from an order straight from Maxson," said Knight to her left.

She stepped in front of Eärendil to shield him from them. "But why would he do this? If he knows I'm here then he should trust that I am making the right decision. Haven't I earned that much respect?"

The three of them looked to each other then back at her. "No matter who the brother or sister, the rules apply to all of us." They took a step towards her.

Nora took a few steps back pushing Eärendil towards the boat. "Please! Just this once, pretend like you didn't find anything! I'll even report back to Maxon myself. I'll accept any punishment, just please! Please, let him go!" When they continued to take steps forward she turned her attention to Danse. "Please, Danse! Convince them to stop!"

He shook his head. Betraying a friend is the last thing he ever wanted to do but he didn't have a choice. He couldn't go against his oaths. "I can't Nora. The only thing I can offer is that if you stand down now, your punishment will be less sever. If you don't... you could be looking at life imprisonment. So I'm begging you to please... step aside, and let us do our job."

Nora shook her head with tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. They were going to kill him even though he wanted nothing to do with any of this. At that moment she didn't care what would happen to her. She needed to save him. "You know I can't do that." She shoved Eärendil onto the boat. He looked at her surprised and confused. "Eärendil go now!" She pointed to the switch on the boat's dash board.

Eärendil hurried to do as she demanded, but Nora was no match against the Knights. They easily knocked her to the side and grabbed hold of Eärendil before he could hit the ignition.

"No, leave him alone!" Nora yelled as she continued to try to fight them off. Danse took hold of her arms restraining her. "Let me go!" She cried at the top of her lungs.

Danse tried to calm her. "Please. There is no need for you both to loose your life over this."

Nora continued to kick and scream. Trying with all her might to get free. The Knights lifted Eärendil off the boat and placed him on the ground in front of her.

"Please, please, please! Don't do this! I'm begging you! I'm begging you please! I'll do anything! Just don't hurt him!"

Eärendil spoke to her softly, "Nora."

She looked into his eyes with tears soaking hers. Flashes of her husbands face appeared over his. Once again she felt so powerless to do anything. As the Knight aimed their riffle at his head and cocked it, he just gave her a big smile as if for the first time in his life he wasn't afraid.

"I'm sorry," she cried.

"It's okay. Thank you, Nora." Eärendil replied.

The Knight fired his weapon and Eärendil's head exploded clean off his shoulders. His blood fell over them like rain, then formed a pool under his limp body. Nora screamed at the top of her lunges in despair. Maxson could hear her cries over the Knights' transmitters. It was the most heart piercing cry he had ever heard. He tried his best to not let it get to him but for a split moment he felt like he just made one of the biggest regrets of his life. Nora continued to struggle within Danse's grip until he finally released her. She fell to the ground with her head in her hands. He tried to place his arm on her shoulder to comfort her but she pulled way from him.

"Just get away from me!" She yelled at him.

With his chest aching from empathy he wanted to express to her how sorry he was, "Nora, I'm-"

"I said get away!" She yelled with even more fury.

She stood up from the ground and ran to the boat. She started it up quickly and sailed it off into the horizon. Danse reached out his hand to her wanting her to return but she didn't even look back.

Over the next few days as she anchored herself out on the water she pondered over the idea if she still wanted to be a part of The Brotherhood. She didn't know how she would be able to face them after what they had done. She never wanted to experience anything like it again. But it was what they do. No excuses, no exceptions. She too is guilty for taking up such oaths then putting the life of a synth into her own hands. She was selfish. She realized that missing her son was what made her make such a stupid decision in the first place. Eärendil would have been just fine without her. He was almost out, almost free but she was really the one in need. Someone to look after. Someone to guide. All the things her motherly instincts should be expressed on Shaun. But then again she was so careful to keep him a secrete. How did they find out about him?

She listened to Eärendil's holotape over and over again. She couldn't keep the tears from falling as each of his hopeful words filled her ears. "The doctor said I could use this to say goodbye. I've decided... that once I leave The Commonwealth I'm going to have the operation. I know I'll lose all my memories. I don't want you to be sad. I... I have nightmares. And this world, the SRB, being hunted, I just can't handle it. Everyone says I'll be safer if I start a new life and I know I'll be happier. My only regret is I'll forget... Old Man Stockton. High Rise. And you. Looking back, there's only fear. Worse than fear. But I will miss my new... friends. I'm going to keep the name you gave me. That way I'm hoping at least a part of me will remember you. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Eärendil. Good bye."

She gave his holotape a kiss, leaving a stain from her lipstick then tossed it into the sea.

(Later)

Nora finally managed to gain back her courage to return to The Prydwen. She expected to be put under arrest as soon as she stepped foot at the airport but instead she was greeted by all the Brothers and Sisters who were so happy to see she had returned safely. Though it was nice to see that everyone wasn't upset with her she still felt as if she betrayed their beliefs. She made her way up to her living quarters and locked herself away inside.

Danse heard of her return through the grapevine and hurried to her room wanting to make sure she was okay. He knocked on the door.

Having lost her voice a bit it took her a moment to respond. She cleared her throat, "Who is it?"

"It's me. May I come in?" He asked.

Nora paused unsure if she really wanted to see him. Was she still angry? Was he angry with her? Worse, would he be disappointed that she went against everything he taught her? Either way, she just wanted to get everything off her chest.

"Come in," she eventually answered.

He entered then closed the door behind him. Nora gave him a somber look with her arms crossed over her chest. So fiery but also so beautiful. This was the first time he had seen her outside of her armor. She was wearing only her B.O.S. suit and its skin tight fabric allowed for every one of her curves to be accentuated. Alone in her room he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms and feel her tender embrace but it was not the time for that.

"Nora, look... I'm truly sorry about what happened. If there is any way I can make it up to you-"

"How did Maxson even know about Eärendil in the first place? I never spoke to anyone about him," she asked angrily.

"Maxson knew you were hiding something from us so... he had me keep an eye on you," Danse rubbed the back of his neck ashamed of himself.

"You were spying on me?" He nods. She immediately became furious. "So then what? You told him what I was doing? About how there were other people in The Commonwealth that I was talking to? What am I not allowed to go off on my own? Make my own choices? I have to be watched and...and guarded like some kind of prisoner?" Her voice had become louder and more upset the longer she spoke.

"You have every right to be mad at me. I didn't want to tell him, but when I found out that the man you were sneaking off to talk to was a synth... I couldn't just let that slide. Having even just one synth aware of what we do here could mean risking the lives of everyone on this ship. I know you would never do anything to intentionally create that risk, but-"

Nora let out a heavy sigh and slumped down on her bed. "I know." She lowed her hands to her lap. "You were just following orders." She looked down at the floor defeated. "I don't blame you Danse. If you hadn't done what you did then Maxon probably would have had to execute all of us just to keep the others from claiming injustice. I just..." She lifts her head to look into his eyes. "...I thought the whole point of doing all of this was to help people. Sure Eärendil was a synth, but to me he was more than that. He was my friend. And for The Brotherhood to just put him down like some rabid dog... it just doesn't seem right." She began to cry again and covered her face with her hands to try to hide it. "Maybe I'm just gullible but I really felt like all he wanted was to escape to a new life and live free just like any other person. He didn't deserve the life he was forced to live. Day in and day out, only taking orders and never expecting to get any praise for it. It's just too horrible to imagine. I just wanted to show him there was so much more to life and now he's gone."

Danse knelt down in front of her and waited for the chance to look into her eyes. Eventually she lowered her hands and looked back at him. He looked at her more sincerely than he ever had before.

"I promise you, I'll never betray you like that again. I don't care what happens to me. What you did was noble and what I did was cowardice." He takes her by the hand. "I want to make this right. Whatever you want, name it, and I'll do it."

She brushed his hair away from his brow. "Thank you."


	3. Chapter 3: The Burial

The Burial

It had been many months since Nora had returned to Sanctuary. It was completely different now. With all the settlers who had moved in and Codsworth tending to their needs, it no longer felt like her family home. Still she had one thing left to do. She needed closure on her old life. Danse and Codsworth followed Nora into her old backyard. They watched as she paused to look up towards the Vault-Tec billboard in the distance. Past that sign was a place she feared to return to. The place her family was taken from her. Vault 111.

Her face somber, she turned towards Danse and Codsworth. "Will you go with me? I need help to retrieve Nate's body. I don't want him in that place any longer. I want him back where he belongs. To bring him home."

"Of course ma'am," said Codsworth.

"Anything you need," added Danse.

They made their way up the dirt path and took the elevator down to the vault. They approached the cryo-chamber where his body was still on ice. She pressed the release button and the door slowly opened. Codsworth lingered nearby Danse as they watched her face fill with pain at the sight of lifeless body.

"Oh ma'am. I hate to see him like this."

"That's why we're here. I don't want to leave him this way."

Danse could feel a prick pierce him in the chest as he watched her begin to weep. "Take as long as you need soldier." With those words he took a few steps back to give her space, motioning Codsworth to do the same.

Nora looked at Nate's face, still as fresh in her mind as the last time she saw him alive. She placed her hand on his cheek and turned his head to examine the gun wound. It went clean into his forehead and out the back.

"At least you felt no pain, my love. I am grateful for that at least."

She looked down at his hands and saw his wedding ring was still there. She looked down at her own, it was no longer shiny and clean like his. In all truth she was surprised the commonwealth had not claimed it yet.

She wiped the tears from her face, "Come on, help me get him out."

They carried his body to the backyard of Nora's old house. They dug a hole big enough to fit their refrigerator, which they had fashioned into a casket, and then placed Nate's body inside. Nora had removed his wedding ring and said one final good bye. She closed the refrigerator door and the three of them began shoveling dirt over it. Nora made a grave stone for him and tied their wedding rings to it.

"I promise my love, I will find Shaun."

Could This Be Love?

While at the Boston Airport, Nora and Danse were helping the scribes work on Liberty Prime when Danse decided to have another talk with Nora.

"I know this may sound like a strange question, but tell me... what do you think about Scribe Haylen?" He asked.

"She's as dedicated as they come. A real team player," answered Nora.

"I couldn't agree more. But I wasn't looking for an evaluation of her performance as a scribe, I wanted to know what you thought of Haylen... as a person."

"So there is a heart beating under all that armor after all," Nora teased.

Danse doesn't laugh and instead takes it as a criticism. "I suppose I deserve that. I just don't normally find these discussions easy to handle, so I try to avoid them at all costs. The truth is, I'm worried about her. Since you and I are getting along so well, I felt like I could confide in you about it... to get your honest opinion."

"This seems like something you should be discussing with Haylen."

"If you'd allow me to explain, I think you'd understand precisely why that wouldn't be appropriate."

She set down her tools on the workbench to give him her full attention."Okay then, shoot."

"A few months before you found us, one of my men was shot multiple times by Raiders. Haylen stayed by that Knight's side for two days straight without sleep fighting to keep him alive... but he was on a slow decline. I decided that his suffering needed to end and ordered Haylen to administer an overdose of painkillers so he could die with dignity. Even though I'm certain she wanted to continue fighting for that Knight's life, she injected him without question."

"Are you asking me whether or not I approve?"

"Of course not. I stand by every order I've ever given. That soldier was gravely wounded. Even if by some miracle he happened to survive, he would have been paralyzed for life. But the decision whether or not to ease that soldier's suffering isn't the point here. The point is what happened later that same evening. Haylen approached me while I was on watch. She didn't say a word, but I could tell something was wrong. After what felt like an eternity, she collapsed into my arms, crying. I... didn't know what do to, so I just held her for a while. A few minutes later, she stopped, kissed me on the cheek and simply said "Thank you" before heading back into the police station. Right then it hit me... maybe I pushed her too hard. I ordered her to ignore her instincts. To do something her medical training told her was wrong. That's why I'm worried about her... and for that matter, everyone under my command."

"This isn't really about Haylen, is it."

"No, I guess it isn't. Look, four soldiers... over half of my team, are gone. Each one of them died because of decisions that I made. I understand the risks that come with the job, we all do. But how can anyone have confidence in me anymore? Hell, how can I have confidence in myself?"

"Would it make you feel better if I told you that I believed in you?"

Danse smiled. "Actually, it does. Though I am not really sure how you can still feel that way after everything that has happened but I appreciate it none the less."

"You're a good person, Danse. That is reason enough for me."

Her words caused him to blush and he tired to cover it up by rubbing his arm across his face.

"Well, it looks like things have taken a turn. I signed up to be your sponsor so I could teach you everything that I know, but it looks I'm the one that needed the lesson today. All joking aside, I'm pleased that we had this discussion and with all the problems you're facing, you still took the time to listen. It's comforting to know that I can speak to you as more than just your commanding officer."

"Does this mean you'd be there to hold me if I ever needed it?"

He is shocked by her question and blushed even harder. "I.. I don't know. I never thought you'd ask me something like that. It would depend... on the circumstances, but I suppose we'll just have to see what happens when the time comes. Anyway, thanks for letting me get that off my shoulders. I think it's been weighing on me more than I realized. I'm only sorry you had to see me at my worst instead of at my best."

"It's fine. You're doing just fine."

They refocused themselves on the task at hand. If they wanted any chance at defeating The Institute they would have to make sure that Liberty Prime was as functional as he could possibly be. No time for distractions.

(Later)

The storms of The Commonwealth were fierce. Hitting Nora and Danse right in the middle of their return to the Airport after Nora's infiltration into The Institute. Not a radiation storm this night, but a thunderous rain storm. The high winds made the area very cold, and with no cover to be seen in the near vicinity and no way for a Vertibird to pick them up, they had to come up with a plan to get indoors somewhere and quickly. Danse strained his eyes to see past the rain and found a sign reading _Fiddler's Green Trailer Estates_.

"Hey, over there!" He pointed to the distance so Nora could see what he was talking about.

She struggled to see through the rain but could faintly see the cluster of Trailers. "You think trailers are gonna be of any help?" Nora shouted back to him.

"It's better than being out in the open. Come on, I can carry you there faster."

Before she even had time to respond, he lifted her up into his arms. Through his power-suit he could barely feel her weight at all. He kept a close eye on how he was handling her, feeling as if he could crush her at any moment. They reached the park of rundown trailers and Danse set Nora back on her feet. They searched each building but nothing was put together enough to shelter them from the cold.

"What now?" Nora shouted through the harsh wind.

"I-I don't know. But we have to think of something fast!" Danse replied. "The storm is getting worse!"

They were about to move on when Nora heard the faint banging of what sounded like a metal door being lifted by the wind. She followed the sound near a section of trees and found a small hatch the was unlatched and being held down by a plank of wood. She tried lifting it to no avail.

"Danse over here!" She hollered.

He hurried to her side. "What is it?"

"I think I found a bunker. Help me lift this board."

Danse used his suit to lift the old rotted wood up off the hatch. It made a loud snap as the board broke in half, having been rooted to the ground. Nora swung the hatch open and looked down into the hole. There was only blackness. She used the light from her Pip-boy but all she could see was a ladder leading down.

"I'm gonna check it out!" She stated.

"Alright, just be careful!"

She hopped onto the ladder and made her way down. Now that she was out of the wind her eyes and ears took a moment to adjust to the dark and silence. Through the Pip-boy light she could see a few shelves with canned food. She started to feel hopeful that the shelter might still be in good shape. Heading farther in she saw a bed come into view. The skeleton of a man was laid out on it: just another victim of time hiding away. She searched the nooks and crannies for any signs of intrusion from the wastelands, but she found nothing.

"Is everything okay down there?" Danse yelled from the hatch door.

"Yeah, it's safe! Come on down!"

Danse exited his power armor, took out the core, and made his way onto the ladder. He locked the hatch from the inside and joined Nora at the bottom. He wiped the water from his face.

"It sure is good to get out of that wind. Too bad that rain its probably gonna ruin my suit."

"Coudn't The Brotherhood just give you a new one?" Nora asked.

"They could but I like that one. I've had it ever since I became a recruit. It can withstand fire, bullets, even radiation, but high levels of moisture like that just ruins the gears. Anyway what do we have going on in here?"

"It looks clear. There are no signs of forced entry, no infestations," she picked up a can of Pork' N' Beans from the shelf, "Even the food isn't rusted. Just a guy dead on the bed."

Danse looked over the man's remains, "Hmm... it looks like he broke his leg. He must have ran down here for safety then bled out."

"Oh god. Can't we find one place where someone didn't die in excruciating agony?"

"Apparently not." Danse began moving the body.

"What are you doing?"

"Well if we are gonna be staying here for the night I don't plan on sleeping on the concrete." He rolled the body up in the bed-sheet then carried it to the ladder. "I'll be right back." He unlatched the hatch and carried the body outside. A few moments later he returned. "There. That ought to make it easier for us to get some rest. Out of sight out of mind."

"I suppose you're right. Do you think we could get some heat down here?"

She took off her Pip-boy and set it down on the small dinning table so its light could illuminate the room. Danse looked over at the small heater in the corner.

"I could try to get that heater over there working. What do we have for supplies?"

Nora started going through her backpack. She ended up finding some wire and glue. Danse checked over the heater and did everything he could to get it running but with no luck.

"Naw, it's busted. It probably stopped working decades ago."

"Damn it! I'm freezing and we can't even make a fire."

Nora's whole body shivered. In a fuck-all mood she began stripping down her armor. The more she removed the more Danse was able to notice all her lustrous curves. Having been caught off guard and turned his face away embarrassed.

"Is something wrong?" She asked him.

"No, no I... uh... that's a good idea. We don't want to keep wearing these wet clothes."

He began to take off his armor as well. He kept himself turned away from her the whole time. His face grew redder when he heard the zipper of her B.O.S. suit sliding open. He continued to copy her actions by taking off his own suit. He heard the slap of wet fabric hit the floor, it shuffle as she picked it up, then water dripping onto the concrete. His mind went into a frenzy. 'Oh my god! She is standing right behind me completely naked! Come on, Danse. Keep it together. Think of it as no different then sharing a co-ed shower room. I just got to keep my eyes turned away and it is no big deal.'

"There is a coat hanger by the entrance. I guess that will have to do to hang up our suits." She walked over to it and draped her suit over it.

"God I could really go for a cigarette right now," Danse huffed as his heart continued to race.

"I really wish you wouldn't smoke those things," Nora said bluntly.

"I never noticed that it bothered you."

"I've never liked them and I would like to see you in tip top shape for as long as possible."

"Alright. I'll do my best to go without them. I wouldn't want to jeopardize your health by being around me after all."

"Is that suppose to be a joke? You know since we live in pretty much a toxic wasteland?"

"No. I mean, I didn't say it just to..." He gritted his teeth, "Oh god. What is wrong with me?"

She placed her hand on his bare shoulder and he shuttered at her touch. It has been a very long time since he has felt the soft skin of a woman against his own.

"Thank you, Danse. I appreciate the sentiment all the same."

"You're welcome."

"Now I wonder if this guy had any spare blankets or anything..." She pawed through the cabinets and found some towels and a blanket. "Ah ha... here we go!"

She tossed the blanket to the bed and then held out the towels to make sure they were clean. She then tossed one over to Danse and began drying herself off. Danse had finally gotten his suit fully removed. She could see his butt-cheeks in the faint light. As he dried himself off she couldn't help but admire the muscles he had all the way from his shoulders down to his ankles. She often imagined that he would appear so small by comparison outside of all that armor but even naked he was almost like a statue. So handsome, so perfect. Even with the many scars that riddled his skin. In that moment it reminded her of her husband. She began to think of all the mornings she would wake up to see him standing beside the bed, stripping off his pajamas, reveling his battle scars from when he was in the army, then heading into the shower. She suddenly began to weep at the idea that she would never see him like that again. She would never see anything the same way again. The world she new is gone. Not wanting Danse to see her cry she quickly got into the bed and hid herself under the covers.

Danse noticed her sudden urgency to hide away and turned his head to find her facing the wall. As he dried himself off he could hear her softly weeping under the covers. He hung his suit next to hers then made his way back over to the bed. Cautious not to invade her dignity he slowly lifted up the blanket and joined her under the covers. He stared up at the ceiling. He thought of what he could say but nothing he could come up with seemed good enough for him to intrude on her thoughts.

Eventually he found the courage to speak., "Are you alright? Can I do anything for you?"

Nora took in a deep breath then wiped the tears from her face. She slowly turned towards him, shifting the blanket as she moved. Her leg brushed up against Danse's and he froze in place. She rested her right hand under her head and through the faint light of her Pip-boy she could see his sad eyes looking at her.

"I'm sorry. I just miss them so much. My husband is dead and Shaun... the way he spoke to me. He doesn't even care about any of it. I don't blame him for not knowing who his parents were but I thought he would have at least shown some concern for his own mother. I mean I was standing right there, right in front of him, and he acted as if I was just some personnel, just someone else to join in his world of lies and of death. He was my baby, and now all I can see is a monster."

Nora began to weep again. Danse wanted so badly to wrap his arm around her and hold her close but was overcome by shyness to do so. He decided to open his arms to her and let her make the next move. She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. Danse felt relief now knowing she felt comfortable enough to be this close to him, but he was still unsure what to say. He began to rub her arm. At first their bodies were so cold it didn't seem as if the blanket was helping much, but after a while their body heat began to merge and they finally stopped shivering. There was an awkward silence for the longest moment when the both of them realized they were not falling asleep.

"How long do you think the storm will last?" Nora asked.

"I don't know. Normally they don't last more than a couple of days but there is never a way to really tell."

Nora sighed, "I miss the days where I could just turn on the TV and the local weather man would just lay out the entire week."

Danse laughed, "Wow, when I think of how broadcasting used to work, it sounds almost impossible. So much knowledge and technology lost."

Nora yawned, "Also not waking up in an abandoned shelter would be good too." She started drifting off to sleep, "Thanks for listening. I know none of this is really your concern."

Danse could only see a glimpse of her through the light but he could make out that she was smiling and it filled him with joy.

"It's no problem." He paused, unsure if he should say the words his lips so desperately wanted to. His heart ached. His fingers tingled at the caress of her soft skin. This was their moment alone together with no possibility of anyone finding out what might happen on this night. He eventually gave in. "I love you, Nora," he whispered.

Nora answered, no longer awake, "I love you too, Nate."

Danse swallowed hard, feeling a little hurt but also sad for her. A tear ran down his cheek and he wiped it away quickly. That night was one of the hardest nights he ever had trying to fall asleep.

The next day Danse woke up to the sound of a zipper. Unsure of what he was hearing, he instinctively looked towards the noise and caught a glimpse of Nora getting dressed. Her right breast exposed in the light, he could clearly see her nipple: small, hard, and pink. Finally realizing what was happening Danse covered his face with the blanket quickly and Nora heard him shuffle in the bed.

"Oh hey, sorry to wake you. I thought maybe I could get dressed quietly but I guess I was wrong. By the way I found a lamp on the floor when I was getting up from the bed. Better than my dull Pip-boy am I right?"

Danse sat up while rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Mid afternoon. I didn't want to wake you due to how tired you looked. Also the storm hasn't stopped so it's not like waking you up would accomplish much. If you want I can try to put something together for us to eat."

"Are you creative in the kitchen?" Danse asked jokingly, "So many canned foods to chose from. The possibilities are endless," he laughed.

Nora smirked at his sarcasm. "Well let's find out shall we?"

While Nora went though the various cans of food, Danse put on his B.O.S. suit that was still a bit damp and then sat down at the small table in the corner. Nora opened up a few cans, heated them up using the hotplate she managed to fix up, and split them into two bowls, before joining Danse at the table.

"Warm beans on canned bread with a bit of chilly on top. Bon appetite."

"Thank you, chef," Danse continued to laugh to himself.

"You're very welcome mon ami."

Later that day the storm settled and Danse exited the shelter to check on his power armor.

"So how is it?" Nora asked exiting the shelter hatch.

"Just as I thought. This sucker's not going anywhere. The rain got into the circuits and shorted it out while also filling all the gears. I would have to take the whole thing apart to get it working again."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Ehh... it's no big deal. Once we reconnect with The Brothers I will just have them come pick it up and fix it at the Prydwen."

Danse searched the area for a tarp and tossed it over the suit to keep it from further damage, then they headed on their way.

Blind Betrayal

Returning to the Prydwen, Nora made her way up to her living quarters to take some time to reflect. She hadn't seen Danse in the past few days; they had gone on separate missions and she realized being back made her miss him that much more. She took off her armor and B.O.S. suit, then wrapped herself in her robe, and made her way to the showers. After getting clean, she was heading back to her room when she was stopped by Maxson.

"Knight Nora, may I share a word with you?"

It was obvious to her that he was embarrassed to have caught her in nothing more than a robe but she tried to keep it casual.

"Yes, Elder?"

"I'm sorry to come to you so suddenly about this but I've been concerned about your well being as of late. Ever since that night with you and that sy- I mean your friend I can't help but worry that you have fallen melancholy. And now to hear you have returned from The Institute only to have discovered that it has been your son in charge all along... I just don't know what to say except that it must be hard for you. I need to know if you're going to be okay."

"I'm fine Sir. I thank you for your concern but it's not like I'm about to go jump off the side of the Prydwen or anything. It's just gonna take me some time to allow everything to sink in. I'm sure I'll fight my way through it soon enough."

"And what about Danse? Has he been supportive of your situation?"

She nods. "Very. More than I expected actually. You know, when I first met him I thought he was just a Mr. Do Right. That there was nothing he could say or do that would cause me to picture him as anything more than a soldier, but I was wrong. We've really been connecting on a level that frankly I didn't know existed between friends. In all honesty I think that it is because of him that I have been able to continue fighting. He has shown me that by being a part of this family makes the world much bigger than myself. That I not only have to fight for me but for all of you as well. And that keeps me motivated to push forward. To help create a better future. A future that hopefully wont be destroyed like the last one."

"I'm glad. That is our goal after all."

"Yeah."

"Well anyway. I said what I wanted to say. You and Danse just keep up the good work. I expect you two to be in tip top shape when we launch Liberty Prime."

"You got it Sir."

He gives her a nod. "Good night, Nora."

"Good night, Elder."

She returned to her room and laid down on her bed. Unable to sleep she started imagining what Danse might be doing at that very moment. She pictured him taking down raiders with this large laser rifle and then standing atop a pile of their dead bodies as he flexed his muscles in victory. She giggled and then bit down on her bottom lip. She pictured herself with her arms wrapped tightly around him. Feeling his hard body pressed against her own. She began to feel a warm tingling sensation between her legs. She slowly opened her robe and began moving her fingers over the soft skin of her inner thighs. She closed her eyes and fantasized that it was him moving his strong hands over her. She massaged her pelvic bone and then gently placed her middle and index finger on her slit. As she moved them up and down, she slowly opened her legs, and began rubbing the nob of her clit. She started picturing that it was Danse down between her legs with his tongue licking her entrance.

Using her other hand she slid her middle finger into her pussy. In and out in and out they rubbed while her other fingers continued to apply pressure to her clit. She kept her fingers curved so she could feel it massaging against her sweet spot and continued to move it deeper and deeper inside her. As she felt herself reaching climax she kept Danse's face in her mind and her hips began to move as if he was right there on top of her.

She moaned out loud, forgetting the walls were not sound proofed, "Oh yes! Give it to me! Oh... Oh yes! Ah! Ah!"

She slipped in a second finger, spreading her walls a bit more to satisfy the unbearable tingling. Her body became hot then stiffened as she allowed her climax to pass. Once she regained control, she removed her hands and laid her legs back down on the bed. She found herself trying to catch her breath. She hadn't done that in such a long time it wore her out and she began to drift to sleep.

Meanwhile outside her door, the two Knights standing guard in the hall looked at one another, both embarrassed and amazed at what they had just heard. They laughed out loud and then turned away from each other, realizing their pants had suddenly become tighter.

(Later)

Over the intercom Maxson called for Nora to report the main deck. She woke up having heard her name and quickly got dressed. She made her way up the deck steps to meet with him. He stood facing the doorway with an angry stance. She approached him confused.

"You wanted to see me, Elder?"

"Is there something you wish to tell me Knight?" He asks gruffly.

"Not at all. I have nothing to hide."

"I find that very hard to believe. Proctor Quinlan completed the decryption of the data you retrieved from The Institute. A portion of his findings included a list of synths that went missing or escaped from their underground facility. After careful analysis of the information, we've discovered something... unprecedented. Paladin Danse is a perfect match for one of the synths on that list."

Nora spoke with concern in her voice, "Is Quinlan absolutely certain?"

"Proctor Quinlan validated the information numerous times. I can assure you, his results are accurate. The data you brought back included a record of each subject's DNA. We keep the same information on file for all of our soldiers. Paladin Danse's DNA is a perfect match for a synth they called M7-97. To make matters worse, he's gone AWOL. Disappeared without a trace. His sudden absence simply reinforces our conclusion that "M7-97" and Paladin Danse are one in the same. I'm finding it difficult to believe that he never confided in you and then swore you to secrecy."

Nora became filled with disappointment. Just when she felt things were starting to get better, another bomb shell fell on her, "You have to believe me, he never told me he was a synth."

Maxson noticed the somber look on her face, "After your actions on the bayou it is going to be hard to trust you. But due to the recent events that have transpired I've decided to take you at your word. However, that doesn't absolve you of your duty. Danse is a synth. He represents everything we hate... a monstrosity of technology. Our mission in The Commonwealth is clear. The Institute and its creations need to be destroyed in order to preserve our future. Which leaves me facing the most difficult order I've ever given. I'm ordering you to hunt down Danse and execute him."

Nora found it hard to keep her composure. Her eyes blinked repetitively as she fought to keep herself from breaking down. "Isn't there some other way?"

"Absolutely not! My decision is final!" He watched her heart break before his eyes which stung him in return. "Listen, I'm not blind to the fact that Danse was your mentor and this isn't an easy burden to bear. But if we're to remain strong, we can't afford to make exceptions... even when it means executing one of our own." He realized how hypocritical he sounded considering the did that exact thing for her after she ran away that night. Still he tried to keep his stance. "Find Proctor Quinlan. He's been analyzing the data and should able to provide you with a starting point."

"Yes Elder." She bowed her head to leave.

He turned to her. "And Nora."

She stopped and glanced over her shoulder. "Yes Elder?"

"Don't disappoint me again. I can't guarantee your safety next time." She nodded her head in response. "Alright. You're dismissed."

Nora headed towards Quinlan's quarters slowly. Her mind was racing with so many conflicting feelings. Not for herself but for Danse. She worried about how scared and lost he must be. For him to just run away without saying a word, even to her. She didn't know how to feel about that. She only hoped he hadn't done anything to hurt himself, or worse get himself killed. She walked up to Quinlan and awaited to hear what he had to tell her.

"Oh Knight, I was told you were coming. Sorry about this business with Danse."

Nora held up her hand to him,"I don't want to talk about it."

"I understand. On to your orders then. I have been poring over Danse's duty reports and unfortunately I have not been able to come up with any concrete information. As you are well aware, Danse had intimate knowledge about the commonwealth and he could simply be taking refuge anywhere. I think our best approach would be to identify every location he has ever visited and cross them out as a possibility one by one. You may want to sit down, this could take a while."

Haylen barges into the room, "What the hell is this crap about Danse being a synth?"

"I assume your outburst was a reference to some doubt regarding Danse's identity. I can assure you that my findings are quit accurate," said Quinlan.

"So he sets Danse up just to knock him down. Is that it?" Haylen's voice was filled with anger.

"How did you hear about it?" Nora asked.

"There is no secrets in The Brotherhood. Elder Maxson has made it quite clear that if we are to find Danse, we are to report him to you. That can only mean you are to hunt him down."

"I don't have time to discuss this right now."

"Why? Are you in too much of a rush to pull the trigger? I can't believe after everything Paladin Danse did for you, you are just gonna turn you back on him like this. There's obviously been a mistake and we need to get to the bottom of it."

Nora lowered her head and shut her eyes, forcing back the tears that wanted to escape.

"Scribe Haylen, you are addressing a senior officer and you will show her the respect that she is due or so help me, I will have you brought up on charges. Now, unless you have knowledge that can assist us, I suggest you get yourself back down to the police station immediately."

"Of course. My apologies proctor, I believe I have information that is relevant to the search."

"Would you like to enlighten us or do we have to wait for you to grace us with your knowledge?"

Haylen turned up her nose at Quinlan's sarcasm then turned to Nora.

"Knight, if you would accompany me to the flight deck I would like to show you the information I have compiled first hand. I stored the data on my Virtibird gunship computer."

"I will take anything that gets me closer to finding Danse."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Proceed and I will keep up my research here," said Quinlan.

"Follow me Knight."

Nora and Haylen make their way to the lower deck. Haylen stops at her computer and turns to Nora.

"Do you actually plan on killing Paladin Danse?"

"I haven't decided. I guess it depends on if he has become hostel towards us," Nora's face filled with concern and sadness.

Haylen sighs, "Well, that's something at least. Look, I've known Paladin Danse ever since I was an Initiate. He trained me, showed me the ropes... and when I screwed up, he taught me to dust myself off and move on. He's earned my admiration, my respect, and my friendship. I don't care what Quinlan's report says. I don't care if he's a machine or not... he's still Danse."

"That's a bold statement."

"It's more than just a statement. It's a plea. Danse is the most selfless person I've ever met. I've watched him risk his own life based on nothing more than principle alone. That's why I'm asking you... not just as a member of The Brotherhood, but as a human being... give him a chance. Let him tell his side of the story. If you're not convinced by what he says, or somehow he's become truly lost to us, then you do what you have to do."

Nora knew everything Haylen was saying was the truth. She didn't want to hate Danse any more than Haylen did. She just wanted everything to be okay again. "Don't worry, I'll hear him out."

"That's all that I ask. I'll just have to trust that when the time comes... you'll do the right thing. Before the Prydwen showed up, Danse had me identify a fallback point if we ever lost the police station. It was Listening Post Bravo, an old pre-war U.S. Military outpost on the northern frontier of The Commonwealth. I still have the walkie-talkie that is linked to the base, but no matter how many times I've tried he doesn't pick up on the other side." Haylen entered the coordinates into Nora's Pip-boy. "The area is isolated, and we're the only ones that knew about it, so there's a good chance that's where he is. Just be careful. There's no telling what state of mind he's in right now, or if he trusts any of us at all."

"Thanks Haylen."

Nora exited the Prydwen and immediately made her way to Post Bravo. She headed on foot, not wanting any of The Brothers knowing where she was going. She found the fort and headed down the elevator. After fighting through the fort's security defenses, she saw Danse through the control station window. He was just standing in place, waiting patiently to see who would come along to take him out. He didn't even notice her through the window. She headed around to the door and approached him. He just stared at her with a somber look on his face. Tears swelled up in Nora's eyes as she looked him over. He was unarmed and looked very vulnerable, wearing only his B.O.S. suit. She couldn't think of what to say to express all the emotions that wanted to burst out of her.

Danse broke the silence, "I'm not surprised Maxson sent you, he never liked to do the dirty work himself."

"I wish you would have told me the truth, Danse."

"I might have, if I'd known what I was. Until Quinlan got that list decoded, I thought synths were the enemy. I never expected to hear that _I_ was one of them. If it wasn't for Haylen, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. So what are your orders? Does Maxson even want me alive?"

"No, but I'm hoping there's a way out."

A worried look overcame him more for her than himself. "Don't be ridiculous. Look, I'm not blind to the fact that we're good friends and this must be very difficult for you. I wish Maxson had sent someone else. But that doesn't change a thing. I'm a synth, which means I need to be destroyed. If you disobey your orders, you're not only betraying Maxson, you're betraying The Brotherhood of Steel and everything it stands for. Synths can't be trusted. Machines were never meant to make their own decisions, they need to be controlled. Technology that's run amok is what brought the entire world to its knees and humanity to the brink of extinction. I need to be the example, not the exception."

Nora's throat was tight from holding back her sorrow, "If you really feel that way, why did you run in the first place?"

"The moment I learned the truth, I knew my life was in danger. I'm a soldier, so self-preservation kicked in... I needed to regroup and assess the situation. Once I got here, and I had some time to think... I realized I'd just made everything worse. I should have stayed on the Prydwen and accepted the inevitable. Like I said, I need to be the example, not the exception."

"You're willing to die for Maxson?"

"Whether I agree with Maxson or not, The Brotherhood has to remain firm and united. If I begin questioning orders, who's to say others won't do the same? I refuse to be responsible for that. Even if it means I need to die. Don't let your feelings about me cloud your judgment. This decision is bigger than both of us. It's about the future of The Brotherhood. We must stay on mission... no matter the cost."

Nora stood in shock with tears like waterfalls on her cheeks. Danse approached her slowly, took the pistol from her holster, then placed it in the palm of her right hand. He then held her hand to aim the pistol at his heart. He didn't even close his eyes, He just looked into hers, confident that she would understand and do as he was asking. She saw flashes of her husband's face on his and then Eärendil's. So many men in her life had already suffered senselessly. So many have died and for what? Just endless death that continues on and on.

"Do it, Nora," he demands.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She wanted him to plea with her. To show her he didn't want to die. To fight. It was then she realized if he wasn't going to do it, she would to have to be the one to fight for him.

"No!" She stated.

"What?" He became confused.

"I won't do it, Danse." She lowered the pistol back to its holster.

"I can't believe you'd risk your life just to keep me alive. Why would you do that for me?"

"I've already lost my family." She struggled to say the words as her heart leaped up into her throat. "And a friend. I don't want to lose anyone else."

Danse saw the pain on Nora's face. Her eyes were pink and swollen from weeping and he realized he had been selfish."You're right. How could I have been so blind? I should consider how my death might affect the people that care about me. People like you and Haylen. Perhaps now that you've opened my eyes, I can consider my next move."

"Whatever you decide to do, I've got your back." A smile spread over Nora's face.

"Thank you my friend, but I have my own path to follow. The only clear choice is for me to leave The Commonwealth. The sooner I make for the border, the sooner I put this behind me." Danse lifted his holotags over his head and placed them in her palm. "Take my holotags. Use them to prove that your mission was a success or Maxson will just send someone else to hunt me down." He heads for the exit.

"I don't want you to go!" Nora cried out to him.

Danse turned back to her and placed his hands on her cheeks. "Don't worry. Well see each other again. I promise. Now, come on! Let's get the hell out of here!"

Danse lead her by the hand to the elevator and they made their way up to the surface. At the entrance Nora followed behind Danse as he started to run, but they were both stopped by Maxson, who had followed Nora to the bunker.

"How dare you betray The Brotherhood!" Maxson shouted to Nora.

"It's not her fault, it's mine," announced Danse, ready for anything Maxson threw at him.

Maxson points at Danse, "I'll deal with you in a moment." He turns his focus back to Nora, "Knight, why hasn't this... this thing been destroyed?"

"How did you find us?" Nora asks.

"When I sent you to execute this machine, I suspected you'd have difficulty following my orders considering you already had feelings for one of these atrocities. Now that I've arrived, it appears that my instincts were correct. What did it say to you that made you betray The Brotherhood? Why is it still alive?"

"He's still alive because you're wrong about him," Nora spoke with confidence.

"Danse isn't a man, it's a machine... an automaton created by The Institute. It wasn't born from the womb of a loving mother, it was grown within the cold confines of a laboratory. Flesh is flesh. Machine is machine. The two were never meant to intertwine. By attempting to play God, The Institute has taken the sanctity of human life and corrupted it beyond measure. You're the physical embodiment of what we hate most. Technology that's gone too far. Look around you, Danse. Look at the scorched earth and the bones that litter the wasteland. Millions... perhaps even billions, died because science outpaced man's restraint. They called it a "new frontier" and "pushing the envelope," completely disregarding the repercussions. Can't you see that the same thing is happening again?"

Nora protested, "That's insane. He dedicated his life to protecting mankind."

"Is that what it told you? How can you trust the word of a machine that thinks it's alive?"

"Danse shares the same beliefs as The Brotherhood. You're talking as if he is some kind of nuclear bomb."

"Don't be so naive. This machine might not be a bomb, but it's goal is exactly the same. Place it where you want the damage done, and when you least expect it, it delivers a lethal blow without warning and without mercy. A machine that's had its mind erased, its thoughts programmed... its very soul manufactured. Those ethics that it's striving to champion aren't even its own. They were artificially inserted in an attempt to have it blend in to society."

"From the moment I was taken in by The Brotherhood, I've done absolutely nothing to betray your trust and I never will," said Danse.

"It's too late for that now. The Institute has foolishly chosen to grant you life. You simply should not exist. I don't intend to debate this any longer. My orders still stand."

Danse turned to Nora, "It's alright. We did our best. You convinced me that I was wrong to be ashamed of my true identity and I thank you for it. Whatever you decide, know that I'm going to my grave with no anger and no regrets."

Maxson spoke in disgust, "Touching. Either you execute Danse, or I will, Knight. The choice is yours."

"If he dies, what happens to me?"

"Given the circumstances, I'd be willing to overlook this lapse in judgment. The fact that Danse's true nature was hidden from you isn't your fault. You couldn't help whatever feelings you gained for it. Now make your decision, or I will."

"After all the sacrifices I've made and all the battles I've fought for The Brotherhood, you need to listen to me. You owe me that much," Nora pleaded.

Maxson couldn't help but comply. Seeing such sadness on a beautiful face pained even him. He remembered the sound of her cry that day on the bayou. So much despair. He never wanted to hear anything like it ever again. Going against every fiber in his body he still wanted to give her a chance.

"Very well, I'm listening."

"Whether he's human or not, Danse saved the lives of countless Brotherhood soldiers. Now it's time you saved his. If you want Danse dead, you lose me as well."

Maxson couldn't stand the idea of losing Nora. Even though he hated Danse to the core of his soul he cared for Nora more. "You're a stubborn woman. So. It appears we've arrived at an impasse. Allowing Danse to live undermines everything The Brotherhood stands for, yet you insist that he remains alive. Which leaves me with only a single alternative. Danse. As far as I'm concerned, you're dead. You were pursued and slain by this Brotherhood Knight and your remains were incinerated. From this day forward, you are forbidden to set foot on the Prydwen, or speak to anyone from The Brotherhood of Steel. Should you choose to ignore me, know that you'll be fired upon on sight. Do we understand each other?"

"We do," Danse answered.

"Don't mistake my mercy for acceptance. The only reason you're still alive... is because of her." He pointed to Nora. Still with so much envy in his heart, seeing her standing there beside Danse so confidently, so passionately, it is what caused him to have such admiration for her in the first place, he couldn't find it in himself to be mad at her. "I'm returning to the Prydwen, Knight. Take some time, say your goodbyes, and then I expect to see you there. We still have The Institute to deal with."

Maxson walked to his Vertibird parked in the distance and flew off.

Danse turned to face Nora and gave her a big smile. "It took a hell of a lot of guts to stand up to Maxson like that."

"Friends take care of each other... no matter what."

"That they do. Which is why I've decided to stay here. I didn't plan on spending the rest of my days at this old listening post, but it will have to do. Besides, you're still going to need my help and I'll be damned if I'm going to let you wander The Commonwealth alone. Now... you better get back to the Prydwen. In the meantime, I'll start making this bunker more livable. If you ever need me, I'll be right here."

"You take this time to think about what I've said. I care about you, Danse. I care about you a lot and it's more than just because you're my friend." She leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. She then wiped her face and straightened her back, getting back into business mode. "Alright, I'll go take down The Institute and then I'll come right back. Be ready to kick some more butt when I return." Nora handed him back his holotags.

Danse laughed and placed them back around his neck. "Will do."

As he watched her walk away he couldn't help but miss her immediately. He wanted to feel her embrace. The warmth they shared like back in that old bunker. He tried like hell to hold himself back. Once she was out of sight he headed back down into the fort, locking himself inside so that he wouldn't be able to chase after her.

(Later)

As the days past Danse had a lot on his mind. Not only was the life he knew over, but hearing Nora say, she cared for him, got his mind even more scrambled.

"How can she care about me? How? I'm a machine. A machine doesn't deserve someone to risk their life over. If she ever died because of me, I could never forgive myself. If I were to ever put her in harms way I would have to end it, right then and there."

He paced the room trying to find anything to occupy his mind. Now that he didn't have The Brotherhood to fall back on he needed something, anything. He flipped through the old books of the bunker's small library. He read the old files on the monitors over and over until he could almost recite them by heart, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get her words out of his head.

 _(I care about you, Danse.)_

His heart skipped a beat every time he heard it in his mind.

 _(I care about you, Danse.)_

"Stop! After what I have done..." he thought about that day at the bayou. All the sadness. All the blood. "...I don't deserve it. I don't deserve her. She's so beautiful, so caring and I'm... I'm nothing."

He could feel the aching in his crotch grow stiffer. He was sweating and felt tired from all the stress he was putting on himself. He sat down on his bed and with everything inside him telling him 'No', his hand moved as if it had a mind of its own and unzipped his suit. His cock slid out into the open air and he could feel the cold against it. It was so hard it hurt, he has held back all this time but he couldn't take it anymore. He grasped it into his palm and began to jerk himself off vigorously. It had been a long time since he last done so. He pictured Nora's smile. He pictured her in her skin tight B.O.S. suit and fantasized about how her breasts would feel in his hands.

'I need you Nora. I want to feel myself surrounded by you. You're hair, your skin, your warmth.' Suddenly he snaps himself out of his fantasy. 'Why do I even have thoughts like this? I can't reproduce, so what is even the point of sexual release? Is it some kind of cruel joke? Is it some form of torture?'

Unable to keep himself from stroking, within moments he was already reaching his climax. He reached out to grab a tissue from the bedside table and held it in place over his crown, awaiting his eruption to soil it. His orgasm was fierce. He gripped himself as well as the bed hard until every last drop drained him of what little energy he had left. He moaned to the ceiling as his body became stiff until the ache finally subsided but still never fully to disappear. He removed the tissue and looked down at the glob of semen in disgust.

"It isn't real! It's all just an illusion!"

He tossed the tissue into the trash and zipped himself back up into his suit. He laid down on the bed and passed out from exhaustion.


	4. Chapter 4: Second Life

Love at Second Life

After taking down The Institute, Nora returned to Post Brovo to find Danse had kept good on his word. He had made the bunker livable and it became their fallback point if ever they needed one in the future. Nora told Danse all the details of how it went down: how they got in, how she fought her way to Shaun, and in the end she could not convince him to change his ways, so she had to take him out. She lost her son, but she saved the lives of countless others by ridding The Institute of its enslavement. She only hoped that the synths she helped to free would finally get a chance to live a full life and not have it taken away but a member of The Brotherhood. That remains to be seen but at least they have been given a chance.

Nora didn't want to sit around feeling sorry for herself. She wanted to just get back out there and continue to fight. Danse got suited up in some old army gear, grabbed his make shift walkie-talkie, and headed back out to The Commonwealth at Nora's side. He had been thinking a lot about what she had said, and now that they were together again, he needed to speak his mind.

"If you have a moment, I have something... personal I'd like to discuss." Danse rubbed his fingers through his hair. His arms were shaking nervously.

"I'm always ready to listen," Nora said happily.

"I appreciate you taking the time. When you revealed how you felt about me, I have to admit... I was caught off guard. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean I wasn't pleased to hear it. I just never had anyone profess their feelings towards me that way. It's taken me some time to adjust into our relationship and I'm doing the best I can to give as much as I take."

Nora noticed he was struggling with his words."Are you okay, Danse?"

"I'm sorry. I really thought this would be easier to talk about. There's so much I wanted to say, but I don't know where to start." He rested his hand on his forehead rubbing his brow hard.

"Take it easy, Danse. Whatever it is, I'll help you work through it."

He lowered his hand back to his side. "I don't know if anything will help me work through it. I've spent my entire life... or at least what I perceive as my life... following a plan to shape my own future. But since my banishment, I feel lost... almost like I exist without purpose." He took his holotags into his hands and looked at them intensely. "For the first time since that moment I signed up with The Brotherhood, I don't have all the answers. I don't have a plan. And it scares the hell out of me."

"Do you really need a plan?"

"That's not the point. Don't you understand? Everything I had, everything I knew is gone. In the span of a few hours, my identity was ripped from me and my world turned upside-down." He realized everything he had just said was exactly what had happened to her, but he still felt it was different. "At least what you had was something tangible... something real. Your husband, your son... they were living, breathing humans who loved you and cared for you. Those sons of bitches who created me couldn't even be bothered to implant memories of having siblings or parents. I don't even know how much of my own past is artificial and how much is real. Can you even imagine that? I started out as nothing, and I've ended up as nothing... and I don't know what the hell to do about it." He balled his fists frustrated and ready to strike at the next enemy to walk by.

"Hang in there, Danse. You need to fight this thing." Nora placed her arm on his shoulder to comfort him.

"I'm not giving up, not yet. I suppose you're right. Maybe I'm just missing the point. My life's starting over, and I need to come to terms with everything I've lost and everything I've gained. Which includes something important you've made me realize. I don't know if it's friendship, or an anomaly in my programming. After all, I'm not really human. But whatever it is, I can't deny that I'm feeling closer to you than anyone else I've ever met."

Nora's heart became lighter. It made her very happy to hear him say that. "I'm flattered that you'd trust me with your feelings like this. Thank you."

"You're welcome. If anyone deserves to know how I really feel, it's you. Look... I know that this has been difficult for you. In fact, I don't envy some of the recent decisions you've had to make. If our roles had been reversed, I'm not so sure I could of handled it as well as you did. Whatever the case may be, I just want to thank you for sticking by me and remind you that what I said before still stands. If you need me, I'll be here for you."

A big smile had spread across Nora's face. She was so overcome with her love for him, so happy that she could have such feelings for someone again, and have those feeling reciprocated. "I feel the same way, Danse. I'm only hoping it's more than just friendship." Nora took him by the hands and intertwined her fingers with his.

Danse's heart began to beat rapidly. The smile on Nora's face was so unexpected. After all the hardships she had been through she was still able to look so innocent. As if the dawn of war could not exist in the same world as her. Danse admired that.

"Are you saying you're... in love with me?" Nora's smile grew bigger and she gave him a confident nod. "This doesn't make any sense. After everything The Brotherhood taught you, how could you be in love with... well, a machine?"

"You're not a machine Danse. In fact, you're more human than most people could ever hope to be. You're kind and understanding. It doesn't matter to me what you are, it only matters what you do, and I have fallen in love with you... because of who you are."

Danse closed his eyes for a moment and allowed a tear to escape. This time he did not wipe it away. His voice grew tight. "You don't know how much it means to me to hear you say that. Look..." he cleared his throat to get rid of the feeling, "...I'm not going to lie to you. You're going to have to be patient with me. Coming to terms with these... well, human feelings is going to be a very difficult journey." He looked down at their fingers still entwined and he grasped her fingers tightly. "But if we can tackle those obstacles together, I think that this relationship could last a very long time." He looked up into her bright green eyes and gave her a smile.

"I know it will," she answered.

"I'm only sorry I can never be the family you once had. I know I can never replace them. I can't even give you a child, but I want to try my best at giving you everything I can. A home, a place you can feel safe and protected. Someone you can talk to. And to be the man you deserve."

"It's okay Danse. As long as I have you, you're all the family I'll need."

Finding her spirit too beautiful to resist he was unable to restrain himself any longer. He embraced Nora as tightly as he could. They both had tears in their eyes as they gazed at one another. Their souls merge for that brief moment when the heart stops but somehow the body remains alive. They kissed. It was a kiss of longing. They had both desired it for so long and not until that moment did they find it appropriate. Danse had never known love before, and now feeling Nora melt in his arms, he never wanted to let her go. Her lips were so soft and her tongue hungered for his. Nora moved her fingers across Danse's gruff beard, along his neck, to the back of his head. She ran his locks between her fingers. Their bodies were so warm pressed up against each other, they could feel it even through their clothes. It wasn't until they both realized how vulnerable they were, not paying attention to their surroundings, that they let go of one another. They quickly check to see if anyone had noticed them but to their relief they find nothing.

"Let's keep moving," Nora commanded.

Danse gave no hesitation, "Right." He followed behind her.

A New Partner

Returning to Diamond City, Nora and Danse couldn't be happier to enter The Home Plate. It had been weeks since they were back in civilization.

"It's so good to be back in a place with running hot water. I can't wait to take a shower," Nora said with anticipation.

"Same. I haven't gone days like this without proper sustenance or hygiene since before... well you know. I guess I forgot how hard it is to live on your own."

Nora hopped into the shower straight away. Meanwhile Danse started to go through their gear and check what they had left for supplies. He saw they were getting low on ammo and started making a pile of junk for them to sell to the shops.

"I think we are gonna have to pick up a few things while we're back," he hollered over the sound of the running shower.

"Okay, I think we can worry about that tomorrow," Nora hollered back.

After a long, much needed relaxing shower, Nora exited the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. Danse immediately became excited seeing her slender legs leading all the way up to where the towel covered her thighs. He could feel the ache in his crotch growing again and quickly headed into the bathroom before Nora could notice what was happening to him. The sound of the running water was loud enough for Danse to hop in and let out a long sigh without Nora hearing. He let the water run over his hair and face. He looked down at his rock hard member staring up at him. He moved his hands over it. Not for pleasure but for relaxation. He needed to clean himself and the sensation of blood rushing through his penis was so intense it was causing him discomfort. 'Come on little buddy. I need you to be calmer around her. We don't want to come off as a predator ready to pounce on its prey.' After a while he was able to get himself to calm down and he took the time to enjoy the feeling of the hot water that was falling over him.

Afterward they changed into new jumpsuits, each grabbed a pistol, and headed out to the market. They both got their hair trimmed at Kathy and John's Super Salon including a shave for Danse, then they sat down at Power Noodles for a bowl.

Nora looked around the stadium and let out soft giggle, "I never thought I would miss this place as much as I do when we are not here. Funny, I never really cared for sports and now I am living inside a baseball stadium.

"Do you care to enlighten me about how the game was actually played back in your time?" Asked Danse.

"Egh... it's boring. Especially compared to what you guys think it is." She took a big bite of noodles into her mouth.

"That doesn't matter. It was a great American pastime. So I want to hear your take on it."

Nora finished chewing."Okay, fine. If you really want to know... If you want to get technical, baseball can be played with just two people. One person pitches the baseball while the other swings at it with a baseball bat. The goal is for the batter to hit the ball each time. For the type of baseball that was played here it required nine people per team and there would be two teams playing against one another."

"Wow. Eighteen people just to play such a simple game."

"Right? So one team would be in the field to pitch and catch the ball. The other team would be on the benches and batting at The Home Plate. If the batter managed to hit the ball they had to run counter clockwise to each base before the ball was thrown to that base. They would take turns doing this and whichever team was able to get more members back to The Home Plate won. There is a lot more to do with how the scoring of the game and such worked but that was the basic idea."

"So it was just something people did for fun?" Danse took a swig of his bottle of Nuka-Cola.

"You could say that. Players more did it for the money and fame, but those who watched did so for fun. Hmm..." She paused for a moment.

"What is it?" Dance became curious as to what she could be thinking about.

"It just came to me, how strange it is that things we found to be so important just don't matter anymore."

"Yeah, well maybe some day things will go back to the way they use to be."

"I am not sure if I even really want them to. Our civilization was wasting so much money and resources on things that just sound silly when you really stop to think about it."

"So if you didn't like the game, why did you watch?"

"For my family. My husband liked it and wanted to share his fondness with Shawn but... he never got the chance."

Danse could see she felt a prick of sorrow from the look on her face. "I'm sorry for bringing it up." He looked down at this cup of noodles and twirled them around with his chopsticks.

She placed her hand into his. "It's fine. It's nice to have someone I can talk to about this kind of stuff." Nora smiled then took a few big bits of her noodles.

Once again Danse just looked at her and admired her beautiful aura.

After a few hours of telling the residents of their recent adventures, they decided to turn in for the night. They re-entered The Home Plate, locked the doors, and sat down on the couch. They sat quietly for the longest moment looking into each others eyes and smiling. Nora took Danse by the hands and began to rub her fingers in between his. She giggled.

"What are you doing?" Danse asked puzzled.

Nora sighed, "I was just... thinking."

"About us?"

"More about you. Everything you've been through, and now with The Brotherhood just casting you aside like that. It just feels wrong."

"As long as I can stay by your side and keep you safe, nothing feels wrong to me."

"I really hope you mean that."

Danse took her by the chin and leaned in closer to assure her, "I do."

Nora smiled and leaned in to give him a deep kiss. The feel of his soft lips against hers made her whole body tingle. She could smell the soap he had used mixed with his natural scent and it made her head swim.

Her touch was like nothing Danse had ever felt before in his entire life. Her silky, full, lips morphed with each little movement of his. He ran his fingers through her hair. It was so soft. Such a contrasting feeling from all the dirt and grim that often coated his hands from the road. He wanted to feel more of her skin but her suit covered anywhere he could think of holding.

As their tongues danced over each other, Nora scooched herself closer to him and moved her hand up his left thigh. She could feel his body shiver as her fingers made their way up to his pelvic bone. She then slowly glided her fingertips over his crotch and felt his cock harden under his suit. She heard Danse take in a deep breath as she continued to rub all the way down his balls and back up again. When he gave her no rejection she became excited, then lifted her leg up over his lap straddling him. She pulled away from the kiss. They both took in another deep breath then looked into each other's eyes once again. Nora's eyes were fiery but Danse's seemed worrisome.

"Are you comfortable with this?" Nora asked not wanting to push him.

Danse looked down at his chest."The thing is, I have never done... I have never been... intimate with anyone before," He felt his face burn hot as he blushed.

Nora found his words hard to believe. "Never?"

He looked back up at her. "Well no, I mean, I have had feelings for women I admired in the past but nothing like this. I guess I was always just so focused on being the best I could be to The Brotherhood that I never took the time to think about my life involving anything... or anyone else. Now with knowing I am a synth I guess I am... scared that I may not have full control over my actions." He looks over her expression hoping she wouldn't take what he said the wrong way. "Not to say that I don't want this because I do. I really do. I just... don't want to hurt you."

Nora rested her forehead against his still looking deep into his big brown eyes that were begging her not to think less of him. "I know you would never hurt me Danse, no matter what. Even if something were to happen, I wouldn't blame you. I love you and I know you love me. That's all I need."

"I do. I love you so much," he affirmed.

Nora smiled then leaned in to kiss him once again. She dropped her bottom lip to meet with his. She playfully moved her tongue over his top lip then sucked on it softly for a moment before taking his tongue into her mouth again. Their breathing became heavy and she placed her hands over the collar of his jumpsuit to unbuckle it. As it opened, she took the zipper into her fingertips and slowly pulled it down exposing his neck and chest. She pulled back from the kiss and moved her hands over his pecs. Danse moaned as she ran her fingers through the little hairs on his chest. She leaned in to kiss it, then his neck, and up his jaw line.

Danse rested his hands on Nora's thighs. As she rubbed her lips and tongue against his skin he grasped onto her, wanting to pull her in closer. The rubbery sound of their suits connecting at their crotches filled the room. He could feel blood still rushing to the lower half of his body and his legs began to tingle under the weight of Nora's butt-cheeks. He then watched as she continued to pull down his zipper exposing his abs and then his V line.

Nora was amazed by Danse's body. His chest was chiseled in such a way that she could see every rippling movement of his muscles as he breathed in and out. For a moment she felt as if she wanted to shake the hand of the person who crafted him. He was so much like a human. He even had battle scars all the way from his neck down to areas she had not discovered yet. Round, white ones from bullet wounds and long, deep lines of red from numerous slashes. There truly was no way for her to have known that he was anything but flesh and bone just like anyone else. Whoever his creator was really understood what makes up a man's body. She shook the thoughts from her head as she anticipated what lied under the final few inches of his zipper. She scooched herself back onto Danse's thighs and bit her bottom lip as she gazed at his V line. She moved her fingers down it to the lump in the crotch of his jumpsuit.

Danse's face was still red with embarrassment. He hoped he wouldn't be a disappointment to her. He never payed any mind to the other men in the shower room, so he had nothing to compare himself to. Was he too big? Was he too small? The hungry look on her face told him that she wanted it no matter its shape or size. He studied it. It was a face he had never seen her or any woman make before. It was lustful. He only hoped to see more of it in the future. He wanted to say something but decided to remain still as she slid the zipper down to its end. His now-unconfined penis shot straight upwards. Danse felt a bit of relief with it no longer being bunched up against his suit.

Nora was amazed to see the length and girth of it. So perfect: not too big, not too thin, and with one big vein pulsing blood all the way through it. He was uncircumcised, and even had a small mole on the side of his shaft. Without thinking Danse made it wiggle and Nora gasped happily. Danse chuckled at her excitement. He never imagined such an insignificant thing could bring so much joy. Nora very tenderly wrapped her fingers around his shaft and gave a happy moan at the feeling of it. So soft but also stiff. She could feel it pulsing in her hand. It made her clitoris tingle under her suit.

Danse was already overcome with pleasure. Just feeling her fingers around him made it almost impossible for him to breath. Since that day at the police station he has fantasied what it would be like. His imagination got no where near as good. He had to calm himself. He didn't want his first time to end by him making a mess all over their abdomens. He wished he had taken more time to practice his stamina.

Nora spoke soft and sensually, "You're body is amazing Danse. I had fantasized about what you would look like under all that armor but I never would have imagined you like this."

"I always figured it was nothing special."

"I could say the same thing about myself."

Nora took the zipper of her suit in hand. Danse's heart jumped up into his throat. He was sweating now and he could feel his body becoming even warmer. The image of her half naked in that cold shelter in Green's flashed before his eyes. He was about the get the full picture this time and he wasn't sure if his mind was ready for it.

Before he could do or say anything Nora leaned her head back and quickly pulled the zipper down past her chest. Her breasts bounced as they escaped from their confinement. Danse stared at them in awe. They were so much rounder and more firm than he would have thought, considering she was not wearing a bra. Her tiny, pink nipples were hard and this time not from it being cold. He moved his hands up her waist and slipped his fingers under the folds of the fabric, pulling it aside to expose her breasts farther. He could no longer resist his urges and with pure lust he pulled her in closer and placed his face between her cleavage. He kissed her breast bone softly and then slowly over to her left breast. He took her right breast into his hand and squeezed it gently. Nora moaned softly. The sounds that escaped her made his whole body shiver. He had never felt something so tender before. It was as if he was dreaming and everything he felt around him couldn't be real.

Even the smell of her was unreal to him. She smelled of fresh flowers. So clean, so pure. It was all too amazing. He rubbed his bottom lip over Nora's nipple and she moaned with pleasure once again. Hungrily he took her nipple into his mouth and began licking it vigorously. He felt her body quiver in his arms and it made him feel powerful knowing he was the cause. The taste of her skin was so enjoyable, he never wanted to stop.

Nora allowed him to play as long as she could but the tingling in her clit was getting to be too much. She wanted him inside her so badly. It had been so long since the last time she got to be with a man and her entire lower half was on fire.

"Danse," she cried out. He looked up at her, praying she wasn't going to ask him to stop. "Are you ready?" She asked taking hold of her zipper again.

He couldn't resist her any longer, "Yes, for you, I'm ready."

Nora pulled down the rest of her zipper exposing her lips and entrance. Danse saw that she was clean shaven and was amazed at how smooth she looked. She placed her clit against the tip of his cock which was already glistening with pre-cum. Danse had to hold back his urge to force her onto him and leaned his head back against the couch taking in a deep breath while looking up at the ceiling. Nora took pleasure in watching him squirm and continued to rub her clit against his head, moving the moisture from his tip to her entrance. He could already feel such a strong warmth coming from her. As she rubbed her smooth labia against his cock he felt as if he was going to explode. He needed to hold out, he wanted so badly to know what it is like inside her. If this was already how good it felt during foreplay, intercourse had to be transcendent.

Soon Nora was wet enough to slip his crown past her entrance and inside with ease. She allowed him to prod her for a few moments to allow her moisture to surrounded his shaft then she straddled him once again. They both let out a loud moan. Danse grasped his fingers hard into Nora's butt-cheeks. She winced and let out a slight whimper of discomfort as her body adjusted to how big he felt inside her, but that feeling quickly faded as she began to rock her hips back and forth and focus on his penis rubbing against her vaginal walls.

Danse used his grip on her to keep her pace slow. He then pulled her in close once again and kissed her collar bone. She felt so fragile in his arms. He saw Nora as a strong woman yet now that she was exposed to him he felt that at any moment he could crush her like a feather. He moved his hands from her butt up to her back and she moaned in his ear. His head was swimming. He could no longer distinguish who was in control of their movements. Was he the one thrusting? Was she? Their bodies were lost to their passion. He took hold of the collar of her suit and pulled it from her shoulders. The fabric barely wanted to budge from her skin but he needed to feel more of her.

Once her suit was pulled all the way off her arms and back, Danse placed his hands against her shoulder-blades. She now felt better balanced to how she felt down below. Nora was so soft, so warm, so tight. Danse could feel the walls of her vagina hugging his shaft and her clitoris pressing against the base of his penis. He never imagined making love could feel so covetable. They both moaned as they continued to thrust into one another. Their breathing became heavier and the heat from their bodies made the air in the room thick. Danse looked at her as she moaned. Her eyes were closed. Her mouth slightly ajar, telling him she craved more without uttering a word. Yet another face he had never seen before, he wondered how he ever lived without it. He brushed the hair back from her forehead with his fingers. She opened her eyes and like two big emeralds they shined at him. She took in each heavy breath as quickly as possible. She tried with all her might to keep up the pace.

Danse spoke out of breath while also trying to keep their rhythm in sync, "Nora, I have no words... to describe... how beautiful you are. The closest I can come to... is perfect. You're perfect. My god, you feel so good." He placed his forehead against hers still trying to force himself from cumming before she does.

"So do you Danse, I'm not sure how long I can keep this up."

Nora moved her hips steadily back and forth over his cock, still not wanting to force the climax to come sooner than desired. Balancing herself on his shoulders, she lifted her hips up slowly until just the head of his penis was inside her then she would come back down over him taking him all the way inside. Danse took hold of her butt-cheeks again and pulled her onto him every time she came back down. She could feel him get so deep inside, rubbing that perfect spot, and his balls would bunch up against her taint. After a few more pumps she couldn't hold back any longer.

"Oh god! You're gonna make me cum! I'm gonna cum!" She moaned while trying to keep her voice from becoming too loud.

Danse could feel her walls tighten around his cock. He held her close feeling her breasts press up against his pecks. She gripped his shoulders tight and allowed herself to take him all the way in. She could feel his cock pulsing as he finally allowed himself to erupted inside of her. Their bodies quivered as they used the last of their strength to grind into each other a few more times. Their moans were long and loud, they were sure that anyone who happened to be nearby could hear them, but they didn't care. After a long, intense moment they held each other, not moving, just waiting for the pulsing to slow down and the blood to return to their hands and feet. Once their orgasms ceased, they could feel the endorphins flooding their heads and they finally relaxed their bodies. They kissed long and hard. Danse rubbed Nora along her back with this fingertips and she moaned softly once again. Eventually he slide them down to her butt-cheeks again and squeezed them hard. Every bit of her was a fun, new, experience. His fingers were able to sink in so deep but yet he still could not feel her pelvic bone.

"You're incredible. Thank you," he whispered.

Nora stood up feeling him slip out of her. She watched as his soaked dick went from being hard to limp in a matter of seconds, then sat down beside him. They rested their heads on each others shoulders and let themselves catch their breath.

"I love you, Danse."

"I love you too, Nora."

They gave each other another kiss then Nora stood up from the couch and let her suit drop to the floor. Danse admired the sight of her heart shaped hiney as she made her way to the kitchen. She stepped into the bathroom and grabbed a hand towel then returned to hand it to him. She returned to the kitchen and started heating up some water in the coffee pot.

"You want something to drink?" She asked.

"Some tea would be nice," he answered still a little dazed.

"Coming right up!" She placed two cups on the counter top then reentered the bathroom to clean herself off.

Danse stood up from the couch and removed the rest of his suit. He cleaned himself off then stood in front of the bedroom's full length mirror and looked himself over. He looked so much like a real man. He thought to himself, 'If only I never found out the truth. I would have never known the difference. The feelings I just experienced. The sensations I shared with Nora. How could those ever be fake? Just a program?' Thoughts of The Brotherhood abandoning him suddenly rushed into his mind and made him angry. He tossed the towel to the floor with tremendous force.

Nora reentered the room with two mugs of tea in her hands. She saw him glaring at himself in the mirror with so much stress on his brow.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" He turned to her having realized he had anger in his voice, "I'm sorry. I was just thinking about some stuff." He pressed his hand up to his head, feeling stupid.

"It's okay. I understand. It'll take time for you to move past this, but I'll be with you every step of the way." She gave him a big smile.

Feeling a bit more relaxed, he walked over to her and took the mug from her hands. "Thank you." He gave her a soft peck on the mouth.

"I hope you like it with lots of sugar. I thought we could use something sweet after such a work out," she giggled.

Danse smiled at how cute he found her, "Sounds good." He gave her another kiss then took a sip from his mug. He left her side to double check that all the doors to the building were locked. "Well, everything seems secure. I guess I'll be heading to bed now." He began to walk away when Nora stopped him.

"Wait! Danse, I want you to stay with me tonight. Actually..." she looked down at her mug and rubbed her thumbs around the rim of it, "I don't want us to ever sleep in separate beds again." She looked back up at him, "What do you think about that?"

"It will take some time getting use to, but yeah, I think I would like that."

"Great," Nora let out a sigh of relief.

They headed to her bed together. They sat on the mattress drinking the rest of their tea and then climbed under the covers. Nora snuggled up to Danse's chest and he wrapped his arms around her. He gave her a kiss on the forehead as she curled the hairs on his chest around her fingers. He was amazed to find that within moments she was fast asleep. He let out a sigh of happiness having never felt this dedicated to anyone before. He had found a reason to live again. Someone to live for. It was then he realized he no longer cared if he was human or not. He only wanted to make Nora happy, no matter the cost. He turned off the overhead light and soon drifted off himself.


	5. Chapter 5: The Accident

The Accident

As the two of them walked the paved road side by side, Danse couldn't help but admire the sight of Nora. The light that seemed to shine from her and the beauty that he found in the world around her made him feel calm in The Commonwealth for the first time in his life. They were suppose to be focusing on gathering supplies, but he couldn't take his gaze off her. Nora noticed him staring and blushed.

She couldn't help but let out a giggle, "What are you staring at? You're making me feel awkward."

"I'm sorry. I just love watching your hair dance in the wind. It's nice when we can just share a quiet moment."

Suddenly they heard the scream of a ghoul approaching in the distance. Soon after the first began to charge, more than a dozen appeared from behind the pile of cars that lined the road.

Nora quickly raised her pistol at them, "So much for a quiet moment."

She began blasting away at them fearlessly. Danse was quick to join her, firing away at them with his laser rifle. Nora hopped up onto one of the cars and continued taking them out one by one. Just as they felt like they were gaining the upper hand, a bloated ghoul arose from the car under Nora. The force knocked her off her feet. She fell and her back violently struck the pavement. With the wind knocked out of her, she struggled to regain control of her limbs. The bloated ghoul showed no sympathy and charged at her. Danse tried to fight off the hoard surrounding him so he could come to her aid, but the ghouls were taking hold of his armor and not letting go.

"Nora... I'm coming!" He hollered while still firing his weapon. "Damn it, if only I still had my power armor!"

Nora, now in a panic, did the only thing she could think of. She rolled as fast as she could a few feet away, then aimed her pistol at the gas tank of the car next to the bloated goal, and fired multiple rounds into it. The gas tank set ablaze and the ghoul turned to look at it as if confused. Danse realized she was still too close to the car. If it were to explode she would be in the path of the blast as well.

"Nora get out of there!" He screamed.

She rolled onto her belly and began crawling away but the blaze grew too quickly. The tank erupted and sent metal flying in every direction. Danse quickly hopped behind another nearby car and shielded his head from the flames. The ghouls got blasted hard. He could hear their screams fade and the area became quiet once again. As the flames settled he got to his feet and ran past the rubble to find Nora.

When he saw her his heart sank into his stomach and his throat became dry. She was face-down to the pavement, motionless, and her left leg had been blown clean off, right up to the knee. Blood gushed from the wound turning the pavement bright red. He rushed to her side and turned her over onto her back. She didn't appear to be breathing.

"Oh god, Nora! Nora can you hear me?" She didn't move an inch.

He quickly got out the medical kit and began tending to the open wound. He wrapped a belt around her leg to stop the bleeding and then hastily wrapped the end in bandages. Still getting no response out of her he injected three stimpaks into her blood stream. He held his fingers up to her neck. He could feel her pulse, it was weak but it was there. Her skin was pale and very cold. He had only one more option, to inject her with Psycho. He hoped it would only get her adrenaline high enough to snap her awake. Holding the syringe in his hand, he hesitated for a moment, praying that what he was about to do was not going to injure her further. He gathered his courage and injected her. She immediately awoke taking in a large gasp of air. Her eyes wandered for a moment; she was unsure where she was.

His heart leaped with so much relief he could hardly speak, "Yes, yes that's it! Breathe Nora, just breathe!"

"Danse? What...what happened?" Her voice was very weak.

"It's okay, you're gonna be okay. I got you. I'm gonna get you to a safe place."

"I'm so cold," her lips trembled as she spoke. They began to turn blue before Danse's eyes, "I can't see anything. I'm dying... aren't I?" She could no longer hold her eyes open and began drifting back into unconsciousness.

Danse lifted her from the pavement into his arms, "No, no...no, you're gonna be okay. You're just in shock. I'm gonna get you help," Tears streamed down Danse's face. For the first time in his life he felt truly scared. "Nora? Are you still with me?" When she didn't respond he began to panic. "Nora? Come on, open your eyes!" His voice became loud almost like a roar, "Don't give up on me! You gotta fight!" He shook her but her body remained limp. He began to sob, unable to keep his composure any longer, "Please don't leave me, not now! Not like this... please!"

He held her cheek up to his wanting to feel its warmth but instead it was like ice. His chest was so tight he felt as if he couldn't breathe. He began to hyperventilate. He struggled to think, he didn't know what to do. They were in the middle of nowhere and he didn't have any more supplies to help her. He cradled her in his arms.

"Please... please wake up... please. I'll do anything. Just come back to me. I can't go on without you." In his last moment of desperation he remembered his walkie-talkie to Haylen. He quickly grabbed it from his side pocket and struggled to keep his hands from shaking long enough to hold down the receiver. "Haylen! Haylen are you there?" No response. "Haylen, please come in!" He roared. Finally he heard a click on the other end.

Haylen answered half awake having being woken up by him, "Danse? What is it? What's wrong?"

"Haylen! Thank god! I need you to send a Vertibird to me right away! Right now, please! Nora's badly hurt, she's... she's not moving!"

Haylen's head rushed as she tried to stay calm but also move quickly. "Okay... okay I'll get one over to you right away."

"She doesn't have long! I'm losing her! Please come as fast as you can!"

"Just make sure she keeps breathing. I'm on my way."

Danse fired a flare into the air. A few moments later he heard the Vertibird approaching. Two men along with Haylen quickly jumped down from it with a stretcher in hand. Danse set Nora down on the stretcher and they strapped her in. They lifted her up into the Vertibird and Danse joined them.

During the ride back to The Prydwen Haylen worked hard to make sure Nora continued breathing. She got her hooked up to an IV bag and kept her stable with stimpaks. After what felt like an eternity to Danse, they reached The Prydwen and The Brothers rushed to get her to the medical bay. Danse tried to keep up with them but was stopped by some of the Knights.

"Paladin Danse, you were given strict orders not to return to these premises!"

"I understand The Brothers don't want me here, but please... I have to make sure Nora's okay."

The Knight in the power armor took hold of Danse and kept him from going any farther, "The Brotherhood will be sure she gets the medical treatment she needs. You, however, are to leave immediately or you shall be gunned down where you stand!"

Danse shouted at the top of his lungs in desperation with tears still streaming down his face, "Why are you doing this? Please... I have to see her!"

The Knight motioned to the one in power armor, "Hold him down!"

Danse was forced to his knees. He felt so weak. He knew no matter how much he pleaded they were never going to listen to anything he had to say. He was too high of a risk to them now and he knew if he was in their shoes he would do the same thing. He took in a deep breath trying to find his words again, "Just promise me, she'll be okay." He looked up into The Knight's eyes and when he received no response he looked down to the floor and readied himself for what was about to come.

The Knight raised his rifle and aimed at Danse's head. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Elder Maxson came through the deck door.

"Hold there, Knight! Let him up."

The knight lowered his weapon wondering what he could have done wrong. "Elder, I was just following orders."

"I know, and now I am telling you to stand down." He raised his voice for all to hear, "That goes for everyone. As long as Nora is being kept in the medical bay, on my orders, Danse has permission to stay by her side. I will decided what to do with him from there. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Elder Maxson!" The Brothers answered.

They released their grip on Danse and he climbed to his feet. He stood and bowed to Maxson. Maxson showed him the door to the inner deck.

"Thank you Elder. Thank you," he couldn't be more sincere.

He made his way up to the medical bay where Knight-Captain Cade was treating Nora's wound. He had her stripped of her clothes and monitor wires were placed over her chest. A blood bag now dripped into her instead of the IV. The monitor beeped steadily, assuring Danse that Nora was still fighting to stay alive. He approached Cade with caution.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked trying to wipe away the tears from his face.

"Indeed there is. Grab me a big bowl of hot water and lots of fresh bandages. It is going to take me some time to get all the infectious shards out of the wound." He turned to Scribe Haylen who was helping him, "Get me a tetanus booster." Haylen handed him a syringe and he immediately gave her the shot.

Danse hurried to get him the hot water as requested. After Nora became stable he sat at her bedside and watched as the doctor found piece after piece of rusted metal and tossed each one into the medical pan beside him. After about an hour of picking, removing, and cleaning the open wound, the doctor felt confident that it was clear and wrapped her leg up nice and tight with fresh bandages. Nora was out cold due to the shock and the meds, so Danse stayed up watching her steady breathing all night.

Eventually he passed out and Nora became conscious a few hours later. It took her a moment to discover where she was, then she recognized The Brothers standing around her. She felt a warm, tight grip on her right hand and she looked down to find Danse asleep next to her. She moved her fingers through his hair over and over until he arose. He opened his eyes. He was amazed to see her awake and smiling at him.

"Oh my god, Nora... you're awake! Are you okay, are you in pain?" He placed his hand on her cheek and was overjoyed to feel that it was warm.

She cleared her throat, "I feel nauseous but other than that I guess I feel okay. What happened?"

Danse's eyes filled with tears again. "I was so scared," he takes in a deep breath while he moved closer to her, "I was so scared I was gonna lose you." He wrapped his arms around her and sobbed into her shoulder.

Nora hushed him and rubbed his back softly. "I'm sorry I made you worry like that. It was stupid of me to have done that. I wasn't thinking clearly."

"No. I don't blame you for what happened. I'm just so glad you're okay." He pulled back to look her in the eyes, "I love you, Nora. I love you so much."

"I love you too."

They shared a deep kiss then she took him in her arms again. Over his shoulder she looked around the room and noticed Elder Maxson standing in the doorway glaring at them, unmoving.

He turned to the other Brothers watching and muttered with envy, "So much emotion wasted on a machine."

Nora gave them a pained look that struck him to the core. He didn't know why he had to keep saying those things around here even when he knew it would only upset her. It was almost enough to make him apologize but he would never allow himself to stoop so low.

Haylen wiped a tear from her eye and then turned to Maxson, "Elder, couldn't it be possible that we are wrong about Danse?"

He turned to her angrily. "No!" He walked away from her without another word.

Cade, having heard all the commotion from the dining hall, entered the medical bay. "Nora, great to see you have come around. How are you feeling?"

"I'm pretty dizzy." She turned to Danse. "Do you think you could get me some water? I feel like I have the worst hang over ever."

"Of course." He stood up and immediately grabbed her a cold bottle from a nearby fridge. He returned, opened it for her, and placed it in her grasp. "Here you are."

"Thank you."

She drank down half the bottle quickly then wiped the moisture from her lips.

"So anything else?" Cade asked.

Nora tried to wiggle all her fingers and toes all at once. She realized something was wrong but she can't quite figure out what.

"I can't feel my left leg," she answered.

Danse took her by the hand and griped it tightly. His expression worried her. She turned back to Cade to hear the reason why that would be.

"About that, now this may come as a shock to you, but you have to remain calm."

"Why? What happened?"

"You'll be okay, Nora," Danse assured her.

Cad moved next to the bed and began to lift up the blanket that was covering her. Danse squeezed her hand again to show his support. She looked down and saw her leg was no longer where it should be. There was just a big empty space on the bed after her knee. For a moment she felt shocked but then she realized things could have ended up a lot worse. She looked back up at Cade.

"Is that the only part of me that was injured in the blast?"

"Well you have sustained a concussion so you will need to be monitored for a while and you had a few other pieces of shrapnel here and there, but as for anything life threatening, it was your leg wound over all. We cleaned you up and gave you some booster shots so you shouldn't gain any infections as long as we keep the wound clean."

Nora turned to Danse and rested her forehead against his, "Thank you."

"You are taking this better than I expected," said Cade.

"I am just happy to be alive. Back on the road, the way I felt, I was sure it was over for me." She looked to all the people watching her. "I couldn't hear, I couldn't see, and all I could feel was cold. Like I was back in that cryo-chamber. It couldn't have been easy to save my life, and with everything that has happened to cause The Brothers to lose trust in Danse..." She gives the brothers and sisters a smile. "...you all didn't lose trust in me." She turned to look at Cade, "I thank all of you for that." She turned back to Danse. "I'll never be able to repay you for saving my life."

"You have already saved mine. So let's just consider us even," he replied.

"Okay," she accepted happily.

After a few more days of recovery, The Brothers fitted Nora with a mechanical prosthetic leg that had a harness and a belt to attach around her waist. She took some time to test it out and after only a few tries was able to get a hang of its movement. Proctor Ingram was impressed by her progress and encouraged her to keep up on maintenance for her new limb.

Feeling like she could take on the world again, Nora thanked The Brothers and Sisters for their help and their generosity. She told Danse to wait for her outside then headed up to the main deck to thank Maxson personally. He stood as he always did, looking out the large window down at The Commonwealth with his hands folded behind his back.

"Elder Maxson," she called out to him.

He continued looking out the window, "What is it Sentinel?" He still had the faint sound of anger in his voice.

She approached him. "I just wanted to thank you for what you did for me. I know it went against all your morals and your better judgment, but you allowed Danse to stay by my side anyway. That means a lot to me. Knowing you care enough to allow such a thing to happen... it shows me just how much good you can do for those around you. I want you to know I've gained a lot of respect for you over this past year. I... just... thank you, so much, Arthur."

Maxson lowered his head with a sigh then turned to face her. "You're welcome," his voice had become softer.

Unable to hold back her gratitude, Nora hugged him and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. Maxson was surprised by her actions and The Brothers that were standing guard moved in to make sure he was okay. Maxson held up his hand to keep them at bay. As Nora stepped back from him he looked into her eyes and for a moment he felt something he never had before. She was grateful. She wasn't looking at him with fear or even just respect, but pure bliss. It reminded him of what he hoped to accomplish for all the people of The Commonwealth. Nora turned away from him and ran to join Danse outside. He held his hand up to his cheek and felt the moisture from her kiss. It was so warm, so tender, so sincere. He wanted that kiss to remain there forever, but instead her heart belonged to a synth.

FIN


End file.
